Process of reducing vanadium.



Unwrap dramas Patented February '7, 1505.

FRANKLIN R. CARPENTER, OF DENVER. (OLORADQ PROCESS 0F REDUCENG VANADIUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,808, dated February 7, I905.

Applicatioufiled A ri127,1904. Serial No. 205.246. I

To (all mitmrt it may concern:

Be it known that I. FRANKLIN R. CARPER Tun, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Process of Reducing Vanadium, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process of reducing vanadium, and especially toe process of reduction by which the vanadium 'is recovered .in the form of an alloy.

There exists in many localities ores of Vanadium. mainly sandstones, having the general composition vanadium 0.5 to five per cent... silica seventy iour per cent, alumina, etc. Notwithstanding the high temperature requiredi'or the reduction of vanadium compounds and the readiness with which it rooxidizes when reduced, 1 have discovered that the ore specified may be smelt-ed even in an ordinary blast-furnace, provided the fuel and blast are arranged so as to produce a high temperature and a strong reducing action and a carrying metal is present with which the vanadium can alloy.

The utility of vanadium as an addition to steel and other metals has been recognized; but the methods employed for its reduction have been complicated and expensive, and as far as known no attempts have bee1i-n1ade to smelt it directly from the ore without previous concentration or other, treatment.

in carrying out my process I may he any.

usual or preferred form of blast-furnace and for fuel coho or charcoal, the Fuel and blast being proportioned to each other and to'the charge so as to maintain at the zone of re durtion the highest possible temperature and reducingaction. For the carrying or basic metal I may use any metal with which vanadium will alloy and which is reducible in a blast-furnace, such as iron or copper, the selection being determined by the character of product desired, but will usually be iron'added to the charge in the form of iron oxid and in quantities also to be determined by the percentago'ol vanadium contained in the ore and the percentage to be contained in the product. in order to slap; of? the large amount of silica present in the ore, a basic flux must be added to the charge, such as limestone or dolomite, preferably the latter. The addition of from one hundred to one hundred and twenty pounds of dolomite to each one huu dred pounds of.0re will be found to give a suitably refractory slag.

On' smelting a furnace charge such as de scribed at the maximum temperature attain able it will be found that, together with the basic metal, a large percentage'of the, vansdinm present in the ore will be reduced and alloyed therewith, and the alloy being drawn oil' and cast may be subjected to further treatment for purification or separation.

In 0 )eratin on an ore of the character hero- 1 inv particularly referred to it will be found that in smelting under the conditionsspecified a certain percentage of the silica will also be reduced, thereby forming, when iron is used as the basic metal, an iron alloy containing a high percentage of silicon and vanadium which may be used as a steel addition in the usual way.

I claim as my inventions- I. The process of extracting vanadium f rom silicious ores containing it, which consists in subjectinga' furnace charge comprising the silicious ore of vanadium, a compound of a carrying metal with which vanadium will a1:

loy, a basic flux and fuel, to an air-blast, the 1 fuel and blast being proportioned to each other and to the other ingred ients of the charge to maintain a high temperature and reducing action, thereby causing", a reduction of the vanadium and the carrying metal and the alloying ol the two, and a iinion of the basic flux and the silica to form a slag, substantially as described. v

2-. The process of extracting vanadium from silicious ores containing it, which consistsin subjecting a furnace charge comprising the silicious ore of vanadium, iron oxid, a basic flux and fuel to an air-blast. the t'ueland blast being proportioned to each other and t0 the. other ingredients of the charge to maintains, high-temperature and reducing action, there by causing a reduction of the vanadium and iron and the alloying of the two, and a union of the basic flux andsilica to form a slag, snh stantially as described.

- ing proportioned other ingredients of the charge to of the diurn will alloy, a

3. The process of extracting vanadium from silicious ores containing it, whichconsists in subjectinga furnace charge comprising the silicious ore of vanadium, iron oxid, dolomite and-.fuel to anair-hlast, the fuel and blast beto each other and to the maintain a high temperature and reducing action, thereby .causiuga reduction of the vanadium, and iron and the alloying of the two, and a union dolomite and the silica to form a slag, substantially as described.

,4. The process of extracting vanadium from ores containing it which consists in subjecting a furnace charge comprising the ore of vanadium, a carrying metal with which vanaflux and fuehto the action of an air-blast, fuel and blast being proportioned to each other and to the other ingredients of the charge to maintain a high teml perature and reducing action, thereby causing a reduction and alloying of the vanadium with the carrying metal, and a union of the flux with the gangue of the ore to form a slag,

' substantially as described.

5. The process of extracting vanadium from silicious ores containing it which consists in subjecting a furnace charge comprising the silicious ore of vanadium, iron oxid, dolomite I and fuel, in substantially the proportions i specified, to an airblast, thereby reducing l and alloying the vanadium and iron and uniting the dolomite and silica into a slag, suhstan i tially as described. l In testimony 'whereof I- have hereunto subi scribed my name. l FRANKLIN R. CARPENTER. Witnesses: MALCOLM HOWE-CARPENTER, l EDWIN VAN Ursa. 

